Maelstrom 15 Fracture
by illmatar
Summary: Springer and Arcee blunder their way into the council's dealings...and Rodimus and Optimus nearly destroy everything especially each other as a result. M for violence and mature themes. And you thought what I did to Kup was bad! Crits PLEASE!
1. Chapter 1

Maelstrom Chapter 28  
Fracture Part A 

Author's note: This story is part of a LONG series called Maelstrom. It is strictly Gen. 1 - sorry, but that was all that was out when I started writing back in the late 1980's. It began as a fan-publication so the first chapters are in the form of a comic book! If you have not read the nine original **Maelstrom Comics** and the preceding text stories, I strongly suggest you do. This is a complex universe. They can be found at http// illmatar. deviantart. com (I have put double spaces between the URL here or FF . Net eats the link.) The comics and art which accompanies this series are there...and believe me I am a better artist than writer.

**Most chapters of this series contain strong language and violence. Rated M for adult themes! Really! Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Critiques adored! This scene contains strong language, violence, and sex. Rated M for adult themes! Rated B for BAD HUMOR and F for FLUFF! If you are following Maelstrom for it's gory nasty bits you can skip this one completely and avoid inebriated Transformers getting into all kinds of trouble you've seen done before, and better, in other fan-ficts. This will do no harm to your ability to follow the soon to come, apocalyptic type stuff which is to follow, and probably will save a few of your brain cells.**

Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Story and OC characters are mine. Critiques adored!  


Fracture - PART A

Arcee and Springer met in their usual place in the fields behind Metroplex. They used this small hill on the edge of the woods pretty often when they wanted to be alone or alone together. It overlooked a quiet field of flowers and long grasses, although the place they usually sat was bare of growth because it was where they usually sat.

Arcee had arrived early on purpose. She wanted to collect her thoughts and settle herself before Springer got there. She was worried, and she wanted some quiet time. Sighing tiredly, she thought about her concerns. Things were hectic at Metroplex. It seemed like it'd been hectic forever. Years ago, she'd been used to a more orderly routine punctuated by brief frenzies of activity surrounding Decepticon attacks, ambassadorial visits and the like. These days it seemed like the lulls were more harried than the frenzies of the old days.

Without really realizing what was happening, Arcee had found herself being given more responsibility around Metroplex than she ever imagined. Springer too. It had started with random "favors' for Ultra Magnus and Rodimus when "something came up" they needed to attend to. The "something" was rarely specific, but at first neither she nor Springer had questioned helping out with the inspections, greeting visitors, dealing with local officials, or the endless paperwork. It wasn't until Arcee realized that some of their human suppliers sought her out first automatically that she realized some of them had never even dealt with Ultra Magnus directly.

That the City Commander was too busy to deal with the merchants who stocked the vending machines in the human cafeteria Arcee had no doubt. She just didn't know WHY or what he was doing. What Rodi and Optimus were up to was an even bigger mystery - they almost never showed their faces around Metroplex anymore.

Arcee picked up a branch and idly drew patterns in the dirt with it. She wondered when her circle of friends had gotten so small. These days it was mostly just her and Springer, with Blurr popping in and out now and then. When she had first been assigned to Metroplex Kup and Hot Rod had often come to join them in this field for conversation and silly games. Spike and Carly had brought Daniel around after he was born. Jazz frequently brought music and chaos to the mix, and even Prime and Magnus had descended from on high to watch and talk at the very least now and then.

Rodimus only showed up as duty demanded these days, and Jazz was so rarely spotted he was becoming a mythological figure people had heard of but didn't really believe existed.

What had happened to her friends? Why were they only her co-workers and superiors now? And now something had happened to Kup.....

Springer's rotors announced him several moments before he appeared over the trees. Once over the clearing he transformed and landed neatly in front of her with a solid thud. His expression did not sing of success.

"Well?" she asked.

Springer shook his head and sat down beside her. "I didn't find out much," he said, sounding as tired as she felt. That in itself told her how concerned he was.

"Didn't you talk to Kup?" Arcee asked.

"Yeah, but whatever has gotten into the others has him too apparently. It must be contagious. He wouldn't tell me any details. All he said was he had a fight with Rodimus."

"A fight? Over what?" Arcee asked.

"Take a wild guess," Springer said.

"Lancer? Did they FINALLY have that one out?" Arcee asked hopefully.

Springer nodded, but his expression only darkened. "Yeah. Apparently Rodimus finally blew his top but it didn't clear the air like we hoped it would Arcee. Kup...Kup isn't OK Arcee. He said it was all his fault, that he was totally wrong about Lancer and admitted to it, but that Rodimus would never forgive him. I guess they aren't speaking."

Arcee just gaped at him for a while. "What about Rodi? Did you talk to him? Springer...this is... wrong! They were such good friends....and it isn't like Rodi to hold a grudge this way!"

"Talk to Rodi? Could I even FIND Rodi? Arcee, Elita wouldn't even tell me where he was! It's just like always. He's 'away', he'll be 'back in a few days', and he'll 'be in touch as soon as possible'. And here I was deluding myself into thinking I was friends with that guy!"

Arcee was a bit taken aback by the anger in Springer's tone, although she was beginning to share his bitterness. She had been so close to Hot Rod once and this Rodimus creature seemed like a poor replacement.

"But why isn't Kup here Springer? With Ultra Magnus on disability leave Kup should be running Metroplex, not us!"

"It shouldn't even be Kup Arcee. What in the hell do we have TWO Primes for anyway? Kup's sure not up to it though! That's the thing. I could tell just by LOOKING at him that he's not up to it. I've never seen him looking so....depressed before. Kup said Lancer told him what happened to Rodimus while he was away and that he finally understood why Rodimus has been acting so strangely. He wouldn't tell me ANYTHING about it though. Arcee...after all Kup's been through, after all he's seen...I think this...broke him. He's in no shape to run a pocket calculator, let alone Metroplex!"

"Springer...I can't believe there's anything Kup can't cope with! He's such a tough old buzzard! He's seen and done stuff I don't even want to THINK about! What can have him so upset?"

"I don't know, but he's not talking. I'll tell you something else Arcee. Kup may be a tough old buzzard but whatever this is it was not only strong enough to come between him and Rodi, it's got him scared out of what remains of his wits!"

"What are we going to do? Springer....Our friends! We HAVE to help them! Why won't they let us help?"

"I don't know," Springer said in a tight voice that told Arcee he was offended and angry, "but I'm planning on finding out."

X

X

X

Magnus flopped himself face first on the couch with a groan. He'd never been in so much pain in his life. He needed a shower but going the distance between the living room and the bathroom was simply not possible. Having been in Lancer's gentle hands for all of three days now Magnus was ready to never move again.

He was certain she was a sadist and that only someone like Rodimus who had been brutally tortured could hope to endure what she was trying to teach him.

She wanted him to do splits. SPLITS! Well. He was fairly certain something in his body WAS split! Permanently!

The door beeped.

"GO AWAY! I'M DYING!" Magnus bellowed.

The door beeped. Oh right...sound-proofed quarters. Security and all. Fuck it!

Magnus rolled over and VERY gingerly sat up. Standing took a while too, and by the time he made it to the door his annoyances...er...visitors were half-way down the hall.

"SPRINGER! ARCEE! Get your butts back here! I did NOT get off the couch for nothing!"

At the sound of his voice (still resonant in spite of his current human condition) Arcee and Springer turned around in surprise. They saw him gesturing impatiently and then turn to go back inside. He left the door open for them and went back to the couch as quickly as he could shuffle.

"Ultra Magnus?" Arcee asked with concern as she poked her head into the doorway. "Are you alright?"

"NO! What do you want?" Magnus snapped, more testily than usual.

"We came to see you! What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I've been training with Lancer. She's only trying to kill me, that's all," Magnus snarled. By this time Springer had joined Arcee in gawking at him from the doorway. They seemed genuinely distressed and Magnus forced himself to take a deep breath and tried to forget he was in agony from head to toe. "I've just got some muscle strain and it hurts. Lancer assures me that it's normal and that I will actually live and get used to it but I figure anyone who is in love with Rodimus has to be more than a little insane. We will have to wait and see if I live or die. What can I do for you?"

"We just wanted to ask you some questions about Metroplex but if you aren't up to it...." Arcee began. At least they could tell it was still THEIR Ultra Magnus from the way they suddenly had his completely attention at the mention of "his" city. They actually DID have a number of legitimate concerns about how to handle Metroplex, but those questions were not the pair's ultimate reason for this visit. They had decided that of all their superiors, Magnus would be the most accessible to them right now. Rodimus was "away" again and Optimus was holed up in Central like a monk. They doubted they could get a straight answer out of Optimus anyway. By the time the senior Prime got done expounding on some vague philosophical point they knew they would leave more confused than before. Rodimus wasn't much better except that instead of inspirational speeches he always took complete control of the conversation and turned it to HIS advantage. Ten minutes alone with him and you always ended up giving HIM information while your own questions were not only neglected, they were often forgotten. It always made Arcee a bit sick with nostalgia for guileless little Hot Rod. Magnus at least could usually be counted on to get to the point.

However there was still the unresolved matter about how best to approach the issues concerning them with him. They didn't expect he would be too thrilled about being questioned anyway, but they hadn't counted on his mood being sour before they even asked him. All of Arcee's rehearsed ideas fled her mind like rats off a sinking ship and her attempts to keep hold of any of them proved futile. Even as a seven-foot fleshling she still responded to the glare of her direct superior with a fit of nervousness.

"Um...well. Um. You see Ultra Magnus....." she began, and then sort of faded off. She had all kinds of BEGINNINGS for the question she wanted to ask. It was the last part she was stuck on.

"We want to know what the hell is going on around here! What in Vector's Sigma's name are WE doing in charge of YOUR precious city? What's the matter with Optimus? Where the hell IS Rodimus?" Springer snapped in a rush.

"Oh great!" Arcee cried. "REALLY diplomatic Springer!"

"Well since you seemed like you were going to take ALL day if figured I'd better get it over with. After all, Magnus is too busy to run Metroplex, so he can't wait ALL day while you ask a simple question."

They bickered over it for a few minutes which was just fine with Ultra Magnus who was sitting there in such a haze of pure panic he wondered seriously if his heart would ever slow down. It wasn't just that they had noticed - although that was bad enough. The command staff was desperate to keep up appearances and if Arcee and Springer had noticed something was amiss...so could other, less friendly minds. That wasn't the worst of it though. The worst of it was not only couldn't he tell them what was "going on" he didn't want them to know what was going on, and once again sympathized with what Rodimus had felt when Magnus had been the one with the questions.

He cursed Rodi a little for not being there. The young Prime was currently hardwiring Vector Sigma to one of the old body-shell production factories. Cybertron was about to rediscover its old purpose...the creation of robotic life. Vector Sigma would no longer be producing personalities oriented towards one faction or another though. Characteristics would be assigned at random and the new generation of Transformers would be unique, surprising individuals who would have to discover their loyalties for themselves. The only specification Rodimus had assigned "Fucking Shit" was that it was to do what it could to balance the incredible discrepancy between the sexes.

Magnus decided to curse Vector Sigma too for its eons of manipulation and deceit which landed Magnus in this uncomfortable situation. Then he got around to cursing the Jabez and the Quints too. His mind might not have any solution for his current dilemma but it had lots of really good curses to go around today. He got really into them and therefore it took him a moment to realize silence had fallen and Arcee and Springer were staring at him worriedly. Apparently they had been waiting for him to say something for some time.

He let them wait a moment more while he cursed himself. If he hadn't been so obsessed with Metroplex, the city he almost never saw anymore, he might be there right now. Yes. He could picture himself working away in happy ignorance but NO! He had to be so in-tune that he noticed the tiniest shifts in his workroom. He had noticed the slightest change in the hum of the power lines which told him more power was being used than the day before. Naturally once these things were noted he couldn't have just let them slide. Oh no! Not him! Mr. City Commander just HAD to hunt and hunt until he got to the bottom of things in his precious city, which was now being run by two overly smart young officers who very logically wanted to know WHY!

What was he going to say to them? He thought up wild lies and was about to start spilling them when he realized it wasn't going to help. He just wasn't that good of a liar and Springer and Arcee knew him too well. They had been under his command for far too long.

They were still looking at him while he fought for a solution. He didn't have one.

"I can't tell you..." he finally whispered.

"What?!" Springer cried.

"I can't tell you," Magnus repeated. Great! He even SOUNDED guilty!

"Why the hell not?!" Springer said indignantly. Magnus could see the triple changer was offended and hurt not to be "trusted" with this information, exactly as Magnus had been. Arcee was just looking more frightened by the second.

"I'm not authorized to," Magnus said.

That stopped them for a second. Optimus' and Rodimus' trust in Magnus judgment was legendary. They had given him free rein in nearly every aspect of the Autobot's military presence on Earth. Anything he wasn't permitted to handle had to be more classified than Springer even thought possible. He started to share Arcee's fear, but if anything it only fueled his anger. As far as Springer was concerned if it was that critical then he and Arcee should have been helping as much as they could - not waiting in confusion on the sidelines. In his ire, he sort of forgot who he was confronting. Intellectually he knew he was talking to Ultra Magnus but Springer wasn't much impressed by Magnus' seven-foot bulk.

"THIS IS CRAZY! WHY HAVE WE BEEN EXCLUDED?! WHAT'S THE MATTER? ALL THESE YEARS OF HARD WORK AND SUDDENLY WE AREN'T GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU ANYMORE?!" Springer delivered this diatribe by leaning over the tired, bruised little man on the couch and pointing at him. Arcee's mouth was hanging open in horror. She knew the look on Magnus' face too well. So did Springer, and he felt a brief moment of regret but decided not to worry too much about it. He might be punished later but at least the terrible pressure in his chest would be relieved.

Magnus too was staring with his mouth open. He couldn't remember the last time anyone under his command (with the exception of that idiot Neon) had spoken to him with such flagrant insubordination. His mouth snapped closed and his eyes narrowed. He understood Springer's hurt feelings but that was no excuse to get rude. Magnus' people knew if they had concerns, great or small, that he would listen if they presented their views in a clear, rational fashion and accepted his judgment without quarrel even if he disagreed. Magnus had no problem with differing opinions, but once a decision was made he tolerated no dissension.

He glared silently at Springer who suddenly found he had nothing more to say. Magnus got to his feet and approached the triple-changer who backed up slightly on instinct. Then Magnus confirmed Springer's rising conviction he was in deep, deep trouble by morphing. Seven feet of human flesh suddenly became one very banged up, angry Autobot. The bruises Lancer had inflicted on his human body translated into numerous dents the likes of which were seldom seen on the City Commander even after a long fight with the Cons. Somehow, seeing him in such a condition made things worse.

Springer went from looking down at a measly human to looking up into Magnus' fuming face-plate. The triple-changer was fairly certain he was dead.

Magnus scowled silently a long time - far longer than his usual "glare of doom" that proceeded his every verbal eruption. Arcee could see he was battling for control. He was furious...but he was also somehow sympathetic. When he finally spoke it wasn't the cataclysmic roar they were expecting. Instead he ground out every word through a tightly clenched jaw that told them he was just barely containing rage like they'd never seen.

"Not long ago..." he grated, "I approached Rodimus with accusations I thought I understood. I was furious with him and believe me, I had better reason to be than you think you have to be angry with us. If I had been right, I would have killed him then and there if I could and he knew it. Even so, he gave me a chance. He gave me a choice. He told me to drop it and that I was better off without an explanation. I didn't listen to him and let me tell you Springer not a day goes by that I don't regret it. If you think you have any concept at all of what is going on you're an idiot. You have no basis at all for that assumption and assumptions like that are what got us into this mess in the first place! I will bring your concerns up to the Primes, but I seriously doubt they will consent and you must accept their decision! That's an order! And I resent having to point that out to you! You are not in command around here! Be glad! You don't want to know what they know! How dare you question their decision to leave you out of it!? It's not a question of your competence! They are doing their jobs...protecting YOU!"

"But Ultra Magnus!" Arcee cried, "They are our friends! You are our friend! We want to help!"

Magnus' grim stare softened just a little, "I know....and you are helping Arcee. Taking care of Metroplex is the best you can do for us and making it business as usual is helping. I need you to do this for me! Do you think I would have asked if I didn't? I'm not Rodimus and I know better than to work myself to death trying to do it all on my own."

They stared at him and he sighed, once again cursing and feeling compassion for Rodimus.

"Do I need to remind you two of your rank and your oaths again? No? Are you going to follow orders and for Cybertron's sake keep your mouths shut?!"

"Yes," Arcee whispered while Springer nodded mutely - silenced for once by fear and surprise.

"Yes what...?" Magnus rumbled dangerously.

"Yes Sir!" they said in sharp unison.

"Right. Get your butts back to my city and so help me when I get back to it I'd better find it the way I left it! I suggest you worry about that! Dismissed!"

They practically fled Marissa's (his) quarters which was good because they barely got out before Magnus had his nervous breakdown. He wasted a good thirty seconds selfishly panicking all by himself. Then he contacted Optimus to share the joy.

The last time the council had been assembled that fast had ended with the total annihilation of the Quintisson race.

X

X

X

Arcee and Springer made it all the way back to Metroplex in silence. Both were overwhelmed by what Magnus had said and refused to say, although Arcee did take a moment to reflect that this was the longest she'd ever seen Springer pass in silence since she'd known him.

They got back to the quarters they had just recently started sharing. Their relationship was tried and true, but it took Springer a while to admit it. To be honest, he still really hadn't acknowledged the fact that they were living together and were technically bonded mates. His things had just sort of slowly materialized in Arcee's quarters a piece at a time until his own rooms were down to the bare walls. Arcee had smiled to herself the day he had "lent" them to Sandstorm, and other Bots had given her knowing smiles and covert messages of congratulations. Blaster had thrown a party that week which Springer had boisterously participated in - all the while pretending it was merely a party like any other. All the usual tokens of good-will had been presented under other pretenses as well. "I don't need this old (brand new) thing any more Arcee. Can you use it?"

Arcee didn't care that something in Springer's pride wouldn't allow him to admit he was settled and mated....she knew she had him, heart and spark, the day his precious weapons had moved onto the gun rack next to hers. She had long since decided that if she held out for anything but sarcasm to fall out of Springer's mouth she'd wait forever. His behavior...that's what you had to watch. He had never told her he was attracted to her when they had first started spending off-time together, but he had always been around. He had finally admitted to loving her once after a particularly intense joining, but she had known long, long before he actually said it. He had to love her. No one would hold her that way if they didn't. Arcee was a practical person. She wouldn't insist on trivial things like words when he wasn't really capable of them. He loved her, he was good to her, and she was more than content. After all, she knew what to look for.

Like now for instance. Springer was pacing "her" quarters and saying things about most of his superiors that could easily get him court-martialed. Magnus and Rodimus got the worst slandering but Optimus, Jazz, and even Elita were also described in less than flattering terms in regards to everything from their appearance to their intelligence. This just told Arcee how worried he was about them. The more insulting he did - the more worried he was about the person in question.

Not that she blamed him. She was frightened too, maybe more than she'd ever been. She liked to face her fears directly and all the shadow-boxing she sensed in her leaders made her very worried. Even the fact that Magnus was training with Lancer suddenly became a point of concern. Even as a human Magnus tended to stand out in a crowd and Arcee had never known him to be anything less than too forthright both on and off the battlefield. What could they be facing that would make Magnus abandon both Metroplex and his own direct-approach mentality to even consider practicing Lancer's silent skills?

When she thought Springer had vented enough to actually think, she tried talking to him.

"Springer...." she said.

He went right on pacing and inventing ever-more creative slurs for their friends.

"SPRINGER!" she cried. Her own fear was plainly evident in her voice and Springer froze and gave her his full, concerned attention. "What do you think is going on?" she asked.

He didn't try to get cute for once and she loved him for it.

"I don't know, but it sure isn't the 'Cons, I know that much. No 'Con was ever built that could spook Magnus that way."

"Do you suppose maybe it has something to do with the Quintissons...with what happened to them?" Arcee asked.

"Arcee, those are just rumors...." Springer said, but even he didn't look convinced. New rumors came around about the Quints all the time and most of them were too outrageous to be believed. Even the reports from reliable sources were disturbing though. Quint bases full of corpses. Ghost ships with bodies blasted, mangled. Signs that some of the dead had been tortured before they were killed. It all gave Springer the surges and reminded him of the ship full of human corpses they'd found that day on Skylynx. Surely there was no connection though. Was there...?

The Junkions were often the suppliers of these reports since they enthusiastically scoured the quadrant for derelicts to salvage. The Autobots trusted their strange allies but often had a hard time sorting fact from TV-inspired embellishment. The Junkions went on about everything from ghosts and vengeful spirits to The Terminator to something called the Borg. Springer knew most of what they reported was dismissed out of hand by most of those that heard them even if the person in question understood what was being said. Springer wasn't so quick to dismiss them. The Junkions might be an eccentric species but they weren't cowards and Springer could tell they were genuinely disturbed. Springer had tried, once, to talk to Wreck-gar about it and didn't get very far even though he knew Wreck-gar considered him a friend. The Junkion leader was unusually evasive. All he would admit was that he had cut his patrols for space-trash in half by partnering up his scout ships. Whatever they had found was disturbing the Junkion leader enough to insure none of his ships went out alone.

Springer had tried to get Wreck-gar to speculate or give him more details but Wreck-gar seemed almost superstitiously afraid to talk. Given the way things were going these days, Springer supposed he should be getting used to evasiveness from nearly every friend. Friends...HAH! He bet the Primes didn't even know that he and Arcee had officially ma....moved in together. Come to think of it, Magnus probably didn't know either. Not that it was a big deal. No. Why should they care he had lent his quarters to Sandstorm for a little while?

Springer ground his jaw. Why indeed? The jerks.

X

X

X

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY'RE ON TO US!?" Rodimus roared so loud that even Elita flinched visibly.

Magnus winced, and stared nervously at Rodimus. Rodi's eyes were green, wild, and fearful. Magnus understood and had expected as much. Telling his young traumatized commander that two more of their friends had stumbled into the web of dark secrets the council shared was one of the hardest things Magnus had ever done. Rodi's response to Marissa being let in on things had been violent and Magnus feared for both Rodimus' fearful heart, and Springer and Arcee's lives. Either Rodimus would have to accept the fact that two more of his friends were now in jeopardy of losing their minds and souls to this mad war or Magnus had just sentenced Springer and Arcee to death. The City Commander knew it was the traumatized assassin that had never wanted anyone to know what he had gone through that Magnus was facing now. If they couldn't find a solution that side of Rodimus could accept then he would kill Arcee and Springer rather than answering their questions. Magnus wondered how he would deal with being the one to bring the killer down on their heads.

"They don't know what we're up to, but they are getting suspicious because...."

"WHAT DID YOU DO MAGNUS?!" Rodimus roared.

Magnus jerked, and got indignantly defensive. "I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! They are suspicious of ALL of us! They just know us too damned well! They think Optimus has become a recluse, I'm never in Metroplex, and they can't keep track of you at all! They know they used to know what we were up to and now they don't. Naturally they want to know WHY!"

Rodimus had apparently been spending too much time with Magnus. The young Prime's chair flew across the room with a resounding crash although he was still enough in control to not aim it at anyone. Marissa, sitting on the conference table, watched it fly over her head with just a hint of ironic twinkle in her eye. If things hadn't been so serious she might have teased Rodimus about using Magnus' tricks for stress release. Magnus was quick to pick her up though and shield her with his hands in case Rodimus really did lose control. Then Rodi turned around and pummeled the walls in fury a few moments. The impervious material didn't so much as scratch but Elita got up gracefully to lay a hand on Rodi's shoulder when he started damaging his arms. He stopped at her touch and clunked his head lightly against the wall.

"Are you alright?" she asked softly.

"No," Rodimus said.

Elita smiled a little, "You know, I think that's the first time you've ever given me an honest answer to that question."

Rodimus cocked his head at her and had to smile a little in answer.

"Come sit down," Elita urged. "Let's think about this. It might not be as bad as it seems."

"Yeah right. Sure. No big deal. Two more of my friends are on the brink. Not to mention the fact that our supposed 'business as usual' routine which is SUPPOSED to be flawless is obviously anything but! If they've noticed, others can notice, and I don't know what to do about it! Everything we are doing to prepare for the Jabez is absolutely vital, and yet it draws us away from what we 'should' be doing! I don't know how to solve this! Maybe I should ask Perceptor for a time machine!"

"It couldn't hurt," Elita said with a smile.

Rodimus turned his head back to the wall. "It will hurt if we don't find a way to put a stop to this Elita. It's all.....slipping through our fingers. If we can't stop it...I'm going to have to be the one to put an end to it... to them."

Marissa blanched, and looked down sadly.

Jazz put his head down into his arms.

Magnus just felt his fuel run cold...he hated the pain in Rodi's voice, but he knew Rodimus would go through with killing two of his best friends if he had to. Coming to terms with this side of Rodimus had been the biggest adjustment for the City Commander to make when he had stumbled into the secrets of the inner circle. Knowing that his trusted friend had considered ending both Magnus' (and worse) Marissa's life was the measuring stick by which Magnus judged all the horror the Jabez represented. Adjusting his thinking to envelop that extreme adaption on Rodi's part had taken Magnus a long time and it had been a hard battle with his Autobot training before he'd succeeded.

What Magnus had forgotten, and apparently Rodimus had too, was that Optimus and Elita had never dreamt of such a possibility.

Elita took an appalled step back, and Optimus stiffened in fear and rage.

"Rodimus..." Elita whispered, still backing up, "you can't possibly mean to suggest you'd MURDER Springer and Arcee because of this..."

Rodimus stiffened, and turned away from the wall although he kept his back to it. For a moment, Magnus saw crushing sorrow on Rodimus' face but he doubted Elita and Prime were much comforted by that...especially when the cold assassin's masks fell over Rodi's features. He didn't say anything though and his grim silence was all the answer anyone needed. If he hadn't been serious, he would have (SHOULD have!) been vehemently defending himself against even the possibility that the very thought of killing two friends would ever cross his mind.

Elita's hands came up to shield her chest, and Magnus could see the start of the same horrified realizations taking place in her which had altered Magnus' universe the day Rodimus had crouched on his chest, holding an assassin's needle barely a push from Magnus' brain, and methodically deliberated the pros and cons of murdering Marissa.

The City Commander felt a different kind of terror now when he realized those realizations were not happening in Optimus.

"NO!" the elder Prime roared. "NO! I WON'T ACCEPT THIS! I KNEW YOU HAD GONE OVER THE LINE WITH THE QUINTS! I SHOULD HAVE STOPPED YOU THEN! I'M REMOVING YOU FROM COMMAND RODIMUS!"

Rodimus merely stared coldly at his partner. Some part of him quailed at Optimus' pain. It was the very reason Rodimus had wanted to keep the Jabez and what needed to be done to stop them to himself. The Matrix had destroyed his plans by sharing his torture with Optimus. Optimus had told Jazz before Rodi had even come home. Then Magnus had gotten involved..then Marissa...then Elita..First Aid...Preceptor... KC..... All of them...in this pain...in this danger. It had to stop.

"It has to stop Optimus," Rodimus whispered.

"NO! YOU have to be stopped! You're mad! You're no longer an Autobot! Where are your morals Rodimus? What have you become? Don't you realize anymore there are some things you just CAN'T do?! Going after the Quintissons was bad enough but somehow I let you talk me into it because they were our enemies! Now you're suggesting going after two of our own! They aren't enemies! They aren't Converts! They haven't done anything wrong except be concerned about you! How dare you?! You were chosen to protect the Autobots and there you stand ready to MURDER them!" The elder Prime surged to his feet and stormed up to Rodimus who didn't so much as twitch when Optimus continued his diatribe from only inches from Rodi's set face.

"You've lost yourself Rodimus! You've become as bad as the Jabez!" Optimus accused.

Rodi's eyes flared emerald. "Lost myself? I didn't lose myself! I gave myself away! For you! For the Autobots! I don't get the luxury of morals anymore! I don't get to have lines I won't cross! My life is forfeit! My soul is forfeit! Why is this such a surprise to you Optimus? I'll tell you why! Because you've HAD the luxury of ignorance because on top of everyone else. I've been protecting you! Do you honestly think all the humans I've killed were Converts? Slavers? THEY WEREN'T! There is innocent blood on my hands already! Arcee and Springer are warriors at least! They risk their lives willingly for Earth, and if they were asked to die for this I know they'd do it! What about the kids I couldn't save Optimus!? The truly innocent who died at my hands because I couldn't rescue them without exposing us? You self righteous bastard! How dare you accuse me?! I'm not a god, but I have to play one! The fate of two worlds depends on us but I'M the one who has to do the dirty work! Where were you the nights when Lancer and I had to wash the blood we shed down the drain with a hose? Where were you when we snuck abused, naked 6 year olds into the cargo hold of a freighter so someone would find them and help them? Where were you when we were laying awake thinking about the ones we didn't get to in time? Or worse, the ones we did but couldn't save anyway? HERE! That's where you were! HERE thinking we have the leeway of options YOU are comfortable with! Ignorance is bliss I suppose! It must be fucking nice!"

If Optimus was at all swayed by this outburst (which Rodi was already regretting) it didn't show. The elder Prime seemed ready to lash out at his partner with more than words when Magnus decided to intervene. He set Marissa down out of harm's way and got between his two friends. He didn't want to think of what would happen if it came to blows between the Primes. It was more than just fear for their safety. The foundation of both the Autobots and the inner council was built on the friendship between the partners - their trust and respect for each other that had never before been marred by any difference in opinion. Normally Magnus knew they regarded their disagreements as a useful tool with which to find the best solution and went about debating with cheerful vigor. Insults, if there were any, were always in the form of a joke. No matter how strongly they disagreed on any course of action it was never PERSONAL.

This time though, it wasn't a matter of the next thing they should do - Optimus was attacking Rodimus' fundamental core...and Rodimus was returning the favor. Magnus was afraid if they didn't stop they would destroy their respect for each other and take the council, Cybertron, and Earth down with them.

Elita turned away numbly and sank slowly into her chair. Her optics held a vacant glaze which told Marissa she was probably waging the same exact war internally that Optimus and Rodimus were holding just behind her. The EDC Captain felt terribly for Optimus' mate, but Marissa didn't fear as much for her as she did for Optimus. At her core, Elita was a practical person. One way or another, she would survive this war with herself as Magnus had done. Jazz had managed too, although the wounds still hurt more visibly. The Specialist was still sitting perfectly still with his head in his arms...but he wasn't about to challenge Rodimus...he just hated himself for not having a less brutal solution.

Marissa wasn't so sure about Optimus.

The senior Prime was a warrior sure enough. He had taken lives in conflict, but always in the heat of battle, and even given his millions of year as leader he had still killed far fewer than some of the human soldiers Marissa knew. The deaths still bothered him though, and Marissa was positive that the ONLY thing that allowed him to cope was the firm belief that the Autobot cause was just. No matter what anyone else believed, Optimus believed he fought for the greater good and that belief kept him going. Without that conviction he would be less likely to pick up a weapon than First Aid.

Marissa wondered if she was about to see Rodimus rupture another soul as he had done with Kup....and Kup was dying from those wounds as surely as if Rodimus had cut him in two. Marissa was afraid. They needed Optimus for exactly the reasons he was now vulnerable. They needed his idealism. They needed his morals standing like a lighthouse to bring them all home through the night. If they needed Rodimus to lead them into the heart of the evil they faced, they needed Optimus just as much to see to it they didn't become what they were facing. Rodimus was their harpoon. Optimus was their anchor. Without both, Marissa knew they were lost. No one else had the strength Rodimus had been tempered to in the torture chamber...and no one else held on to unshakable convictions quite the way Optimus did.

Marissa shuddered as she watched Magnus impose his bulk between them just as Optimus got ready to throw the first blow at his assassin partner. The two extremes were now in direct conflict, and Marissa couldn't see any way out without one destroying the other.

"STOP OPTIMUS!" Magnus demanded. The City Commander's interference had somehow unleashed Optimus' rage and he was now flailing unsuccessfully at Rodimus from around Magnus' bulk. Rodimus didn't budge but his silent stare seemed to go right past Magnus as if the huge commander didn't exist. Having seen that look before (mostly when Rodimus had been torturing Quints) Magnus was desperate to get Optimus away from Rodi. Magnus was terrified that if one of Optimus' blows landed on Rodimus (who seemed disinclined to dodge,) then Rodimus would follow with one of his own that would leave Optimus dead.

"NO! Magnus! How dare you defend him?! He's out of control! He going to KILL Springer and Arcee!" Optimus ranted.

"HE'S GOING TO KILL YOU TOO IF YOU DON'T STOP IT!" Magnus roared.

That halted the elder Prime for a second. He looked at Magnus, and then at the entity which had been Hot Rod. It's stare didn't waver, and it didn't disagree. In that moment, Rodimus ceased even being a person in Optimus' mind, and instead became some implacable force of death that Optimus had to fight as surely as he had to fight Megatron.

Forgetting Magnus even existed, Optimus lunged at the thing again....determined to kill it or die trying. At least, if it killed him, he would die on the side of justice and maybe his death would break the hold this thing had on the others.

Fortunately, Prime's attack was every bit as incoherent as his thoughts were, (not to mention the actually were several hundred tons of City Commander between him and his target) and Magnus had no trouble grabbing Prime's shoulders and slamming him into the wall.

"GO SIT DOWN HOT ROD!" Magnus roared over his shoulder at Rodimus.

The assassin didn't so much as twitch an eyebrow, but his head turned slightly so that those emotionless optics met Magnus". He might have been a mantis sizing up a fly, and for a moment Magnus felt the same loathing some people feel when confronted by large, aggressive insects. It was the sense of "Other" which radiated from Rodimus. Alien. Unknowable...and because of that revolting. No wonder Optimus wanted to squash him, but Magnus knew better.

"GO SIT DOWN! THIS ISN'T SOLVING ANYTHING!" Magnus ordered. Optimus tried to push him off and Magnus pushed back. "NO! STOP! If you want to stop him sit down and THINK! We need solutions not this stupid name calling!"

Rodimus turned and went silently to his seat. If he was hurt by the way Elita flinched away from him he gave no sign.

Magnus groaned inwardly and walked Optimus forcibly to his seat. The senior Prime said nothing, did nothing, but the sullen looks he threw his equally unresponsive partner told the others it was only a matter of time before a new eruption took place.

"We have a problem!" Marissa stated. "We have to solve it. Rodimus is right that we have to stop the leak! Now let's figure out how so that no one gets hurt! There is too much riding on the unity of this council! It's more important than either of your damned egos! Now, what are we going to do about Springer and Arcee?"

Continued in Fracture Part B. 


	2. Chapter 2

Maelstrom Chapter 28  
Fracture Part B 

Author's note: This story is part of a LONG series called Maelstrom. It is strictly Gen. 1 - sorry, but that was all that was out when I started writing back in the late 1980's. It began as a fan-publication so the first chapters are in the form of a comic book! If you have not read the nine original **Maelstrom Comics** and the preceding text stories, I strongly suggest you do. This is a complex universe. They can be found at http// illmatar. deviantart. com (I have put double spaces between the URL here or FF . Net eats the link.) The comics and art which accompanies this series are there...and believe me I am a better artist than writer.

**Most chapters of this series contain strong language and violence. Rated M for adult themes! Really! Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Critiques adored! This scene contains strong language, violence, and sex. Rated M for adult themes! Rated B for BAD HUMOR and F for FLUFF! If you are following Maelstrom for it's gory nasty bits you can skip this one completely and avoid inebriated Transformers getting into all kinds of trouble you've seen done before, and better, in other fan-ficts. This will do no harm to your ability to follow the soon to come, apocalyptic type stuff which is to follow, and probably will save a few of your brain cells.**

Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Story and OC characters are mine. Critiques adored!  


Fracture - PART B

Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Story and OC characters are mine. Critiques adored!

Continued from PART A!

It was a meeting like no other.

They did, eventually, reach a solution that the entire group could agree on (at least on the problem with Springer and Arcee) but it was Jazz, Marissa, and Magnus who did most of the brainstorming.

It was Jazz's idea to create a new title for Magnus, a "promotion" - a least on paper. As far as the Autobots as a whole were to know, the new position made Magnus into almost another Prime - broadening his responsibilities to include more of Earth and Cybertron. It wasn't so much an increase in authority as a change of focus from Metroplex to the administration of the Autobot organization as a whole. Springer and Arcee would then be promoted to co-administrators of Metroplex under Magnus' direct supervision. Magnus wasn't happy about officially turning over his city to someone else, but he wasn't about to say so when the lives of his two friends were at stake.

The command staff agreed to tell Springer and Arcee that Rodimus had discovered a new enemy while he'd been gone, and that it was an enemy they dared not confront directly. They would tell them just enough to help them understand their leaders' recent behavior. It would require a great deal of trust from Springer and Arcee for them to accept that there was plenty they weren't being included in on - especially since Marissa suggested that the two of them try to screen some of the less important duties away from Magnus and the Primes.

Basically, the command staff planned to dump a great deal of their regular duties as Autobot leadership on the unsuspecting heads of Springer and Arcee. They would be asked to provide the cover stories, make lots of the general administrative decisions, intercept people with frivolous questions, suck up to politicians, oversee a great deal of the requests for supplies, etc. etc.

In other words, they would be attending to more of Optimus and Rodi's duties than the actual Primes were, just as they had been doing for Magnus in Metroplex. The command staff was trusting them to make sound decisions on their own and to be prudent about which decisions they couldn't make on their own.

They spent several hours hashing out the finer details and defining exactly what fell under Arcee and Springer's new jurisdictions.

They voted on it. Optimus and Rodimus silently raised their hands in agreement, but continued to glare steadily at each other as they had over the course of the session. Elita raised her hand as well, but in a half-hearted, distracted way....several minutes after the vote was called. Her optics were focused internally and she was obviously only half-aware of what she was voting for. She jumped when Magnus called her name sharply and demanded she cast her vote again. He wanted real consensus - he wanted her opinion. Elita had scuttled many a plan before now with her incredible gift for foresight. Something about the eons she had spent on her own had given her a perspective the rest of them didn't have. In a way, she was the outsider...the rest of them had served together in one capacity or another for a very long time. Her isolated experiences gave her a unique outlook on events and she had a way of pinpointing things they'd overlooked. Many times one remark from her had sent them back to the drawing board. They often dreaded her quiet voice at these meetings because it symbolized many more hours of painstaking planning, but when the work was done they were all glad she was there.

She looked over the proposal again, obviously REALLY evaluating it, and consented again. Magnus still wasn't satisfied though.

"I propose we wait a few days to think this over. It would be foolish to be hasty over such a fundamental restructuring."

Optimus and Rodimus both turned their glares on him. Rodimus said nothing, but Magnus could sense anger and an undercurrent of fear. He obviously wanted this resolved quickly so he could quit worrying about having to lay plans for an untimely demise for his friends. Optimus apparently had the same worries...with a slightly different twist.

"You're just leaving him an opening! Who's to say he won't go after them tonight?" the elder Prime spat. Magnus tried to remember if Optimus had ever sounded so outraged at some infraction of Megatron's.

"If I kill them, it won't be at night," Rodimus hissed with equal venom. He was furious Optimus would suggest he would even consider scratching them if there was even a ghost of hope for a better solution. His sarcasm was lost on Optimus who lunged at him again across the table.

Magnus shoved Prime back down harder than he needed to (there were limits to his patience) and Jazz was on his feet as well. Rodimus didn't budge.

"You're both defending him," Optimus said with flat accusation.

"He's NOT the enemy Optimus," Jazz said. Unlike the others, Jazz didn't seem angry or distressed but merely resigned.

"Right," Magnus stated. "Annoying, irrational, and tactless, but not the enemy. Which brings me to the second reason I want to wait. I'm not about to suggest we bring two new members into a divided council! If we start bickering with each other were really are lost! Now rope yourselves in! Optimus, you know damned well Rodimus isn't going to hurt anyone friend or foe with any other option, and Rodimus it wouldn't hurt for you to quit provoking him! You knew this would upset him! Why are you acting like its some kind of surprise!?"

"I'm not surprised," Rodimus said coolly, "I'm just disappointed." He got up fluidly and left.

X

X

X

The next few days brought the majority of the council a whole new understanding of the phase "fraught with tension."

Optimus marooned himself in his office and didn't come out.

By contrast, Rodimus was seldom seen. If he needed to consult with someone he materialized out of thin air, got the answers he needed or gave his instructions in as few words as possible and vanished again. Literally - vanished. Marissa nearly had nervous tremors when the reports she put on Rodi's desk disappeared moments later without her ever being aware he was in the room with her...not because he frightened her, but because the rift in the council had her more terrified than she'd ever been. Marissa knew that only the idea that she was doing something to counteract the Jabez kept her sane. If the council dissolved it would take her hope and her stability down with it.

Elita vanished too - completely. Her work remained untouched and her unit began expressing concern. When Jazz asked Optimus about her the elder Prime had snapped irritably that he didn't know where she was. Minutes later, a message showed up on his computer monitor...even though it wasn't currently set to receive messages.

Elita One has returned to her old headquarters in the tunnels. She Is undamaged. Seems thoughtful. R.

Jazz would later tell Magnus, Marissa, and KC later that Prime stared at that message and didn't speak until Jazz finally left.

They all did their jobs and tried to pretend nothing was wrong. Magnus did his best to stall Springer and Arcee but he could tell they were getting impatient.

Magnus therefore got impatient as well.

Magnus exercised his privilege as a full council member and called an emergency session, which meant KC, Perceptor, and First Aid got to join in on the fun as well. Marissa brought them up to date while Magnus just plunked the meeting's agenda down in front of Optimus and stomped back out.

"Now all we have to do is find the walking eyesore," Jazz said to Magnus.

"I'm here," Rodimus said.

Everyone screamed, but for once Rodimus neither looked smug or criticized them for not paying better attention. He just went into the conference chamber and sat down.

Magnus handed him an agenda.

Rodimus read it unresponsively.

Magnus sighed, and the others filed in.

Finally, Optimus appeared at the doorway brandishing his agenda, "What has gotten into all of you?! Magnus! Marissa! This is not funny! You can't waste my time with proposals to 'replace both Primes with pocket calculators!' He couldn't see the far end of the table because Magnus was standing in the way.

"It wasn't meant to be funny Optimus. I assure you, we are quite serious," Magnus said.

"WHAT?!"

"It's a not so subtle hint that at least calculators are good for something!" Marissa said sharply. Prime's head snapped around to look down at her and they both wondered at the same instant when she had given up calling him "Sir" and speaking to him respectfully. Probably about the same moment he had lost her respect. She went on in the same critical tones, "What you and Rodimus are doing is worse than useless! Its undermining everything we've fought and killed for!"

Rodimus snorted and Optimus' head snapped up to locate his partner sitting insolently at the far end of the table.

"You...." the elder Prime said.

"Very astute," Rodimus muttered.

"What is he doing here?!" Optimus asked Magnus.

"He's a member of this council what do you think he's doing here?" Magnus asked.

First Aid and Perceptor exchanged wide-eyed stares. They had never dreamt any argument between the partners could get so bad and had seriously thought Marissa and the others were exaggerating.

"NO HE'S NOT! He's nothing but a murderer!" Optimus roared. Then he looked around wildly for a second. "Where's Elita?" he demanded. "Magnus! Ask him where Elita is!"

Rodimus snorted again in disgust and leaned conspiratorially towards Jazz who was just sitting down next to him.

"Jazz, tell that self-righteous bastard his mate, who is far more sensible than he is and much better than he deserves, is just fine and collecting herself down in the tunnels. She went down there for some peace, but I took the time to make sure she was OK. Someone has to keep an eye on things around here!"

"Rod-man, I decline to go there with you," Jazz said. "If you and Op want to act like morons who am I to stop you, but I ain't gonna help you out!"

"OK fine," Rodimus said, "First Aid, YOU tell Optimus that I looked after his mate, like I look after everything, and there's nothing at all for him to worry his sensitive little micro-chips about. He can go back to his office and leave everything to me like he always does. After all, I wouldn't want him to ever go out and DO anything...he might get his hands dirty or chip his finish. Heck! He might even break a nail!"

First Aid didn't get more than a few seconds to blink dumbfounded at Rodimus before Optimus charged. This time Magnus made no move to intervene as Rodimus stood up to meet Optimus' assault. Optimus actually froze for a second when Rodimus literally beckoned him on.

"Come on Optimus," Rodimus was whispering, "Let's go. Right here," he said, indicating his own face, "Put one right here."

Optimus didn't answer, but he resumed his charge with a roar and punched Rodimus dead in the face with all his strength. The smaller robot rocked back smoothly with the impact on his heels and rocked back fully upright just as fast. To Marissa and KC he resembled nothing so much as one of those inflatable clowns parents give to their children to punch.

He smiled.

"Let me know when your ready," he said.

Optimus punched him again and they could all see the impact dent Rodi's face. Rodi's smile never faltered in the slightest.

"Felt kind of a breeze there. Does anyone else sense a draft? Like from in Op's head maybe?" Rodimus said.

This time when Prime started punching he didn't give Rodimus time to talk between blows. Rodimus never flinched or moved to block a punch. The smile remained but his eyes got greener by the second. Jazz suddenly panicked, remembering that crazed look from the tunnels when they had seen Rodi's psychotic side torture and kill holographic versions his friends....Optimus in particular.

"He's gonna snap and kill Optimus!" Jazz said to Magnus. "Or he's gonna let Op kill him!"

"They need to have this out," the City Commander said grimly.

"Someone's gonna die!" Jazz cried as Optimus changed tactics and applied several metal crunching blows to Rodi's midriff. Rodimus merely grinned that maddening grin in silence.

"Let's hope one of them comes to their senses before that happens," Magnus said, although he didn't sound terribly hopeful about it.

"We have to stop them!" First Aid cried, surging up. Magnus pushed the medic back down and held him down. First Aid put up a surprisingly good struggle but he really didn't have much of a chance. He never turned on Magnus of course, but throughout the "fight" he never quit squirming either.

"No. Either they get over this or we get rid of them," Magnus said grimly. He was hoping it never came to that....he and Marissa had discussed it and were counting on an ace in the hole.

Rodimus was looking sickeningly battered but he continued to spur his partner's violence.

"Come on Optimus," he whispered, "Is that the best you can do? Why don't you just draw your gun and fire? Do everyone a favor! It's what we BOTH want! Besides, you can't crack me this way! There's no way you can hurt me more than I already have been!"

Optimus heard him, but didn't really register the words (that would come later). Now he just picked up on the tone in Rodi's voice - sarcastic, contemptuous, gleeful. It drove Op's pounding fists on and on....  
And then Rodimus stiffened...taking more of the hit than any of those previous because he was tense. Marissa and Magnus exchanged glances, and Jazz looked to them sharply for answers.

"Lancer..." Marissa mouthed and Jazz stiffened with dawning hope and realization. Lancer wasn't with them, she was on Maelstrom, but surely she was fully aware of what was going on with Optimus and her mate. Apparently she had enough and they could see that Rodimus was suddenly focused more internally than on Optimus' blows. The young Prime's attitude altered completely, although he still made no move to defend himself. He suddenly looked on his partner with something like regret, something like compassion, instead of with that insulting leer. He still made no sound, but he finally let his pain show a bit. Badly damaged by this point, the others were amazed he was still standing and First Aid was trying to get Magnus to release him by naming a string of possible complications to the injuries Rodimus was receiving.

Optimus either didn't notice Rodi's change in demeanor or he was too far gone to care. He continued to assault Rodimus with more viscousness than any of them had ever seen him use in real combat. This wasn't a fight...it was an emotional eruption....probably a good thing too. Prime's punches were wild and unfocused. If they hadn't been Rodimus would be dead by now.

There was a sickening crunch...and the higher note of shattering glass. KC's hands flew up over her mouth to stifle a scream.

The left side of Rodimus' face, already crushed repeatedly, had collapsed and his left optic shattered when his housing had failed to protect it. The "skin" of his housing peeled and cracked, exposing the inner mechanisms of his face and leaving a dead hole where his optic had been. Still he stood.

Optimus froze - his fist poised in the air. If he punched once more his hand would go straight through Rodimus' face, surely killing him instantly. That was what he wanted...wasn't it? Rodimus' one remaining optic stared at him calmly, fearlessly. Was it that Rodimus didn't care what Optimus did or was it something else? Was he looking for death again or was it trust?

Optimus' hand wavered for an instant. The punch started forward, stopped, started again...and with a strangled cry Optimus turned and transformed on the run, barely giving the doors time to open before him. If they hadn't no one at the table had a doubt he would have crashed straight through them in his desperation to escape.

Rodimus sank to his knees and it was only then Magnus remembered to let First Aid go. 

X

X

X

Magnus took it as a bad sign that Rodimus didn't say much while First Aid repaired him and the others took turns telling him what they thought of his recent behavior. Marissa led the charge but even Perceptor, KC, and First Aid put in a word or two. Magnus held back a bit but only because he could tell Rodi wasn't much listening to them. Magnus suspected he was getting a far more personal and meaningful chewing out from within.

"Is Lancer reeming you?" Marissa asked Rodi at one point.

"Yes," Rodimus answered.

"Good," Marissa said.

Magnus smiled to himself when his mate went back to her own diatribe without missing a beat.

Hours later Rodimus was himself again, at least on the outside, and the rest of the council scattered back to their various duties to wait anxiously. None of them could guess what would happen now between their leaders and all were actively or subconsciously making plans for what would happen if the rift was never sealed. Rodimus vanished again, and Optimus was nowhere to be found for a full day.

When he finally tried to sneak back into his office, Magnus was waiting.

"Well, you sure made a royal mess of things," he said when Optimus slipped into his office.

"AAHHHHH!" Optimus cried, having thought he was entering an empty room. Magnus grinned, and mentally thanked Lancer for recent lessons on hiding in plain sight. It didn't take Optimus long to recover his composure though - he was getting used to being startled. "I'm resigning," he claimed quietly.

"No you aren't," Magnus said confidently.

"Yes. Yes, I am," Optimus stated, with a faint note of surprise at being contradicted. He had been prepared to deal with all sorts of protests, but not a flat-out denial of his decision. Magnus acted as if there was no doubt.

"Nonsense. We need you. You know it. There is no possible way you would turn your back on us now. I know you too well."

"Magnus...I'm not fit for this position anymore."

"What makes you say that?"

"I..I can't deal with this. I can't Magnus. Let Rodimus do it. I'm only hindering you all," Optimus said.

"You seriously think I'm going to let you leave us solely in the hands of that mad-man? Really Optimus!" Magnus said. He tried to sound amused about it but the irony fell flat. On one level he was kidding. On another, he was totally serious and they both knew it. Rodimus was remarkably competent and cheerfully aggravating, but underneath it all he was also a deeply traumatized, troubled soul and while he was doing just what they needed right now.....

"Magnus...I can't face this. I can't face what is happening to us. I can't lead my people knowing that I am allowing their murders to be considered a viable course of action. I can't look them in the optics. Maybe you are right - maybe it IS necessary to consider the possibility, but if that is so then I am no longer suited for this position. I can not come to terms with this. I tried. I don't know how you did," Optimus said. His voice no longer held accusation, only a sort of resignation and guilt over his failure to cope.

"Well, maybe it was a bit easier because the first person he threatened to kill in my presence was me....and the second was Marissa," Magnus said.

"WHAT?!" Optimus said, aghast.

"Well, I challenged him. You know I discovered one of his assassination runs and confronted him over it. He told me then that he considered killing me rather that telling me the truth. The funny thing is that I dismissed that fairly easily. Forgot it in fact...right up until I insisted he let Marissa in on things too. I nearly got her killed that day and myself too because I attacked him when he considered it." Magnus snorted in grim amusement. "I didn't know what he was capable of yet and I ended up on the floor with one of those needles up under my chin, pressing into my housing. To this day, I think it's the closest call I've ever had...except for maybe Unicron."

"By the Matrix...." Optimus whispered, "What did you do?"

"What could I do? I didn't even dare talk at that point. He sat on my chest and talked out his options...more to himself than to me I think. Believe me Optimus, I was terrified for myself and mostly for Marissa. I still am. But the fact is, he didn't kill either of us. That side of him always worries me. I worries me that it exists in HIM at all. He's gone far over the edge Optimus, but he's still one of us. He loves us, and nothing short of an apocalypse would make him consider hurting us. Unfortunately, that is what we face, and he is more aware of it than any of us. I had to be that close to see it though. I had to look into his face and see the potential to murder us all...and the pain it causes him to consider it."

"I attacked him...and he let me. I hurt him and he wanted to be hurt. I...I think he was hoping I'd end that pain. I was blind to it. It's unforgivable. How do I make up to him for that? What he does for us...I can't accept it. I certainly can't do it, and I punished him for being the one who can. I ignored his anguish because I can't even deal with the fact HE has to deal with it. It was easier to think of him as evil than as my friend in such pain. I nearly did what I accused him of doing! I nearly took his life...nearly murdered him for my own selfish reasons! If I claim he's not fit for leadership, how can I go on leading after what I did? How do I make up for that Magnus?"

"Well, first of all you don't quit. If there is penance to be done do it by helping him! Help him see the way out! Find solutions that help him avoid the killing. Believe me, the effort we all put into saving Springer and Arcee was as much for Rodi's sake as for theirs. If he ever has to kill one of us, it will be worse for him than for them. He will make their end quick and clean, but he'll hold on to the pain forever and you know it. He doesn't forgive himself now for the ones he just can't save....and there are so many..."

X

X

X

"What the hell can possibly be taking them so long?" Arcee muttered to herself. The cursing wasn't something that came easily to her but after about three days of listening to Springer invent endless variations on the same theme she was ready to try it herself. The terror she had initially felt as Magnus very seriously told them to be patient and await the judgment of the council was fading. She was starting to feel...insulted.

Continued in Fracture Part C.


	3. Chapter 3

Maelstrom Chapter 28  
Fracture Part C 

Author's note: This story is part of a LONG series called Maelstrom. It is strictly Gen. 1 - sorry, but that was all that was out when I started writing back in the late 1980's. It began as a fan-publication so the first chapters are in the form of a comic book! If you have not read the nine original **Maelstrom Comics** and the preceding text stories, I strongly suggest you do. This is a complex universe. They can be found at http// illmatar. deviantart. com (I have put double spaces between the URL here or FF . Net eats the link.) The comics and art which accompanies this series are there...and believe me I am a better artist than writer.

**Most chapters of this series contain strong language and violence. Rated M for adult themes! Really! Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Critiques adored! This scene contains strong language, violence, and sex. Rated M for adult themes! Rated B for BAD HUMOR and F for FLUFF! If you are following Maelstrom for it's gory nasty bits you can skip this one completely and avoid inebriated Transformers getting into all kinds of trouble you've seen done before, and better, in other fan-ficts. This will do no harm to your ability to follow the soon to come, apocalyptic type stuff which is to follow, and probably will save a few of your brain cells.**

Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Story and OC characters are mine. Critiques adored!  


Fracture - PART C

Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Story and OC characters are mine. Critiques adored!

Continued from PART B!

"Are you going to talk to him or what?" Jazz asked Optimus shortly. It was one of those rare moments Jazz took advantage of his long-standing working relationship with Optimus. Before Ultra Magnus had joined their forces on Earth, before Hot Rod was even activated, Jazz had been lending his intellect, his ingenuity, and his shoulder to Optimus. Usually the Specialist took these duties as a matter of course but this time he was letting his irritation show. Optimus needed no more indication than that as to how utterly fed up his people were with this incident. Rattling Jazz visibly took EFFORT.

"Yes, I'm going to talk to him.....just as soon as I FIND him!" Optimus said. Jazz wasn't the only one frustrated. Elita was still "missing" and Optimus felt like he was being eaten up with guilt and fear. Yes...fear. He feared what would happen when he finally caught up with Rodimus. He feared his apology wouldn't be enough. He feared that even if Rodimus accepted his apology that their friendship and their partnership would be forever strained....stained....corrupted. He feared what such a weakening in the Autobot's foundation would lead to. He feared that his own assault on Rodimus had been the final straw that had snapped Rodi's tenuous hold on sanity. Rodimus had never been too vulnerable to attack from his enemies - he seemed to thrive on those - rising to whatever challenge they presented. On the other hand criticism from friends had made him quietly suicidal during his first term of command. How would he react to being called outright evil by his partner? Especially now when the missions he was undertaking were so incredibly horrible.....Optimus didn't know how Rodimus managed to stay lucid in the first place.

Certainly Rodi's behavior the last few days held no comfort for anyone. They all knew he was close. Reports placed on his desk usually vanished within minutes. Perceptor, frustrated he couldn't find Rodimus for a consultation on a few of the projects Rodi had his scientific team scurrying over, had vented his frustration on Magnus. The scientist had listed his concerns to the City Commander who promised to tell Rodimus if he saw him. While they sat there, the answers appeared on Magnus' work station. Perceptor suffered a visible case of the surges at being spied on while Magnus contented himself to cursing out the walls and demanding Rodimus present himself.

Rodi didn't.

It made everyone incredibly edgy and mostly they took it out on Optimus. The senior Prime didn't object at all. The fact they felt comfortable enough to be openly irritated with him meant on the one hand the council was working - they no longer regarded him as unquestioningly above them. It made their ire all the more justified in his eyes that his actions should sunder the council just as it was reaching its potential. He wrote a big note and left it on Rodimus' desk. "I want to talk to you please," it read.

Rodimus must have seen it. Other reports placed next to it vanished as always. The note remained untouched. 

X

X

X

Rodimus wasn't ready to talk to his partner and he knew it. He knew Optimus felt guilty and wanted to call a truce. Rodimus was sorry he couldn't go to his partner right away and put Optimus' fears to rest. The young Prime considered talking to his partner, speaking comforting words, and setting it all aside the very first day but he knew that wasn't good enough. He knew he could ACT like everything was fine...he could ACT that way for years....but that would only let the rage he was feeling build like a boil until it erupted again even worse. Rodimus knew if he didn't deal with his anger now then sooner or later the council really would be doomed.

It wasn't easy.

Confronting his own emotions wasn't exactly Rodi's forte`.

He knew exactly why Optimus had reacted as he had.

It still hurt.

He knew Optimus had responded exactly like Rodimus would have predicted if he had been asked in advance.

It still hurt.

He knew Optimus was terribly guilt ridden and worried about Rodi now.

The anger lingered just the same....and what a terrible anger it was.

He understood and in many very real ways shared Optimus' outrage at what had to be done. This shouldn't be happening. As a Prime, Rodimus shouldn't consider killing his own. If there was ever a gauge to judge how much worse these new enemies were than the Deceptions this was it. The 'Cons were greedy, selfish, and violent but never had they forced such choices on the Autobots.

Nevertheless, Rodimus was completely enraged with his partner.

Insane rage. Rodi knew it. Torture-chamber madness.

Unwarranted.

Unjustified.

And very, very real.

It wasn't Optimus' fault that he couldn't do what Rodimus did, but Rodimus couldn't help blaming him.

Maybe if fate had created Hot Rod before Orion Pax then Optimus would be the one hiding from his friends and fighting with this rage.

Maybe.

Rodimus had just had to deal with another auction site right here in Iacon though. Just last night. He hadn't had to kill any children - they were already Converted. Rodimus hated Optimus for not being the one who sat here trying to figure out whether that was a good thing or not. He'd wanted to gather those little bodies and leave them on Optimus' desk like the note Optimus had left on his.

"I want to talk to you please?" Yeah Optimus. Let's talk. Let's talk about this. Let's talk about these little naked babies. Let's talk about the contusions on their thighs. Let's talk about how I feel about 6 year olds being gang raped. Let's talk about how I resent even KNOWING that's what those marks mean. Let's talk about how I feel knowing what it is to feel human sexuality and how dirty I feel when I consider taking lust out on the body of a child. How I feel when I look at my own beautiful little girl and fear someone will hurt her that way. I know you've never even IMAGINED such a thing and I'm jealous of your innocence! I don't want to look at Edana and think such things!

Rodimus hugged his knees to his chest and looked out over Iacon. He was in human form perched right on top of Central and suspected Magnus and Marissa knew exactly where he was. He was keeping tabs on his friends with Com-eyes borrowed from Maelstrom and could be back in the command center in under 3 minutes if needed. His friends were aggravated because he hadn't talked to any of them directly, but they knew he wasn't really out of contact - even if they weren't sure how he was doing it. They also knew - even if they were pretending not to have thought of it yet, that if they had really needed to reach him, they could have always just gotten in touch with Lancer.

Lancer sent him another wave of soothing thoughts - trying to ease his distress. He was glad she was there helping him cope. He was glad she had made him put down the handful of little corpses he was going to give to Optimus. At the time, it had seemed a perfectly logical idea.

Even now Optimus, you only THINK you know what you're apologizing for. I was going to give you a better idea. Seemed only right - that you should at least know what you were talking about. Lancer is right though. I don't WANT you to know. I don't want you to suffer this with me! You're my friend. I don't want to hurt you and ONE of us has to stay sane....but I wish...I wish I was the one who got to stay innocent! Why do I have to be the one with blood on his hands? I don't want to be the one who goes into these places! I know what I'm gong to see and yet it's always some fresh horror! The faces are never the same! It's always some new child with blood running down their legs and their necks! If it wasn't maybe I could get used to it! Maybe I could go numb to it! I want release from this pain! And yet I fear what I will become if I ever do get used it!

Rodimus spent a few moments trying futilely to find some non-destructive release for his fury. It was something he tried every now and then...just to see if he really made up his mind to if it would work. He vowed to make it work and then confidently tried to scream. Nothing. He tried again. No...and again. Nope... Only when he felt Lancer's mental whimper did he stop, and tried to soothe her shame. She thought her response to his pain had distracted him and that maybe he could have really done it this time. Realistically though he knew he hadn't been close and forced her to see it was true. She just wanted it for him and she never gave up hope that he would heal enough some day to succeed.

Why me?! he raged at her. Why do you have to suffer this with me?! I was tortured! Wasn't that enough? Why do I have to keep adding to my memories of anguish night after night? The sight of it! The SMELL of it! Optimus couldn't endure it! Not for a single night! How come I have to? And then he accuses me of being like the ones that perpetrate this! I can't even decide if nothing could be further from or closer to the truth! After all! I participate! Exactly 48 times since I came back from being taken I'VE been the murderer of some innocent life! It's not good against evil! It's my brand of evil versus theirs! I want my soul back dammit! How did I get into a situation where wanting to be with you and raise our children in peace became more selfish and evil than murdering other people's babies? I want to spend time with you and Edana! I want to have more kids! I want to rest a little and that's WRONG! That's selfish of me! I have assassinations to perform! How dare I even waste the time it takes to wish I was holding you!?

Good is evil! Evil is good! I'm so tired! I'm so confused! And I can't even TALK to my partner about it because his spirit is too fragile! HE needs to stay untainted and I can't even tell him what it would take for him to advise me! His innocence is a smack in my face! He should be stronger! Dammit! I need him to support me and I hate him because he can't!

I'm here though...I understand, Lancer sent. She was on the Maelstrom, light years from Cybertron, but her mate's pain was undimmed by the distance between them. You don't want him to know. Not really. You do what you do because that's the way it is. It has nothing to do with what you wanted...with what he wanted. What happened happened. I wish you didn't have to endure this love, but I'm glad you can. Optimus couldn't have adapted to this. If he had been taken instead of you he would not have survived. No one would have blamed him, but it is better that you lived....that you adapted. Optimus is almost as old as Kup, Rodimus. He's by far more flexible but there are limits. Optimus can't help it. It isn't his fault.

I know. I know. I can't let go of this anger! I can't just will it to leave! Everyone gets to have limits but me. I guess that's the point. I accept the limits of those under my command. I make a point of knowing what those are. I don't ask Blurr to sit through diplomatic sessions. I don't ask First Aid to fight. I don't ask Grimlock to help Perceptor. I guess I just expected too much from Optimus because I still think of him as my superior. He's supposed to be stronger than I am!

You can't blame Optimus for not living up to unrealistic conceptions of his strength Rodimus. You are doing the same thing to him the others did when they kept criticizing you your first term. It isn't fair to him. Lancer said firmly.

What has fair got to do with any of this? Rodimus retorted bitterly.

Rodimus....if you don't at least try...then how ARE you different from the Jabez?

X

X

X

Optimus went towards his office with a sigh. No one had seen or spoken to Rodimus for days. He was seriously thinking the young Prime would never forgive him and resolved over and over to come up with contingency plans in case that were true. Many things would have to change if the partnership broke and Optimus tried to think of solutions to the problems he was trying to foresee. He didn't get very far...guilt over the sundering kept interfering.

Entering his too-familiar work-area, Optimus sighed again. Recently he had taken to keeping the lights dim. Work surrounded his desk on all sides. Even the few personal items he kept in his office had been buried or pushed aside by "more important" things. His mind, always quick to point out the symbolism in things, wondered if he was to be buried here as well. This office was becoming his tomb.

He wandered in listlessly and resolved once again to concentrate. Sitting down at his desk without really seeing it, Optimus stared off into space for a while. He shook himself at last and looked down at the disarray of unfinished busy-work which clogged his schedule and his work-space. He had to admit it...having Springer and Arcee take lots of this off his hands sounded pretty good right now. Then he jumped with surprise.

Right on top, although somehow still hard to notice, was a note.

"I'm ready now," it read.

Optimus looked up into the half-light of his office again and was not at all surprised for once when the gaudy, cheerful detailing on his partner's form unveiled itself from the darkness. It was the first time Optimus didn't even pause to wonder how Rodimus defied the laws of light and physics by making that eyesore of a paint job blend in. They looked at each other. Both had plenty of things to say and not the first idea of how to begin. The moment stretched out and the pressure of awkwardness grew with each passing second until neither could stand it.

"Rodimus..." Optimus said.

"Op..." Rodimus said at the same instant.

They looked at each other again.

"Sorry...you go first," they said together. Optimus couldn't help it..he chuckled a little and Rodimus started laughing.

"We're pretty pathetic," the younger Prime observed sagely.

"Shhh! Not so loud so we can keep it to ourselves," Optimus said, although he couldn't quite match Rodi's light tone. "Sit down Rodimus," he said. "I'm going first. Rodimus...I'm sorry. I had no right to do what I did. I had no right to say what I said. It was...it still is such a terrible shock...I didn't...I DON'T know how to handle it. I took that out on you. I hope you can forgive me."

"I wasn't thinking about you when I brought it up, Optimus. If I had been, I wouldn't have just blurted it out like that. It's one of my waking nightmares...being in a situation where I might have to turn on one of my own. I let my emotions get out of hand and it hurt you in a way I can never undo."

"What would you have done differently Rodimus? Said nothing? Kept me in the dark?" Optimus asked incredulously.

"Yes. Exactly," Rodimus said.

"Rodi...We're PARTNERS! You can't keep a partnership that way! You can't protect me from this! I'll just have to learn to accept it somehow."

"Wrong. You don't have to accept it. I don't want you to accept it. And keeping you out of most of it is not only possible its crucial!"

"But..."

"Optimus..one of us has got to stay sane! It's too late for me so you get the prize," Rodimus said. His tone was cheerful, but his expression told Optimus he meant what he said.

"Rodimus...you aren't crazy. You joke about it all the time but..." Optimus started.

"Optimus, do you know that Lancer had to argue me out of..well...bringing some of my work in for you to see the other night?"

"I want to know what you do..."

"Even if what I do means disposing of corpses? What exactly do you think I do with the Converts I encounter anyway? But that wasn't the point..not really. I didn't want you to focus on their deaths, but on the abuse they suffered before they died. They were just...little kids." Rodimus looked down at his hands while Optimus stared at him in horror, though all the while the elder Prime noted that the simple gesture of looking down spoke more of Rodi's distress than anything Optimus had seen in months. When you looked at Rodimus recently and thought you had found your way down through his facades, it always turned out to be yet another facade to dissuade you from looking deeper.

Not this time.

Rodimus had his hands clenched together in his lap...and it was the closest he could get to a scream.

"I've gotten too good at being an assassin to stay sane Optimus. I had too. I know the human body as well as a Transformer's. I know where to hit. I know what maims, what cripples, and what kills. That knowledge protects me..protects us all from discovery. I have to be fast and precise so no telepath can alert others in a way I can't block. I have to be clean and leave no evidence for others to trail back here. I need this knowledge...but at the same time it hurts me because every bruise tells me a story. I need only to look at someone to see how they've suffered. I don't try to imagine it...it's automatic....and it's something I can never escape. You need to be the voice of reason Optimus. I delve into this nightmare too much. It's more real for me now than the halls of Central. It's my focus. Even when I'm not there, I'm planning my next foray. When the Autobots come to me with personal concerns, or there are diplomatic disputes, or the Decepticons stir up trouble I have a hard time concentrating on it. I know, intellectually, that these things are important, but they still feel trivial when I've been up all night murdering slavers and putting down Converts. If you join me in this, you will start feeling the same. It's unavoidable...and Optimus, our people need you to be there for them. I can't do it anymore."

"Great Cybertron, Rodimus. I...I didn't realize..." Optimus started.

"If I had been more careful, you still wouldn't have any idea at all," Rodimus said, obviously angry with himself.

"Must you kill them all...? Really? Must you? Maybe if you could spare some you wouldn't hurt so much."

"Optimus...sometimes I have to kill innocent people who haven't been Converted," Rodimus said flatly. His hands twisted together.

Optimus stared at him for a very, very long time. Rodimus said nothing. He could see Optimus was struggling with the same instinct that had caused the initial fight. It was taking all of Prime's concentration and will to keep quiet...to let Rodimus explain instead of just attacking such a statement as all out evil.

"Why...?" Optimus finally managed....all the while wrestling with his very soul. As if it matters! some part of him raged. The ends don't justify the means!

"I...I've failed them. That's why. Because they've seen too much. Know too much. Because I can't shield them from telepathic scans even if I could trust a solemn vow never too reveal what happened to them. Their trauma would be evident even if they promised to lie...even if the children were CAPABLE of lying that well for their whole lives! Because I can't prevent the media circus that would follow them even if I could make their rescues seem like a freak accident. Because I can't be sure I can protect them from being taken again! Even if they keep quiet under the worst torture, Conversion would reveal us! One leak Optimus! One tiny shred of evidence! One stray thought picked up by a telepath! One footprint! One cell! One tiny hint of rebellion and the Jabez or one of their Sponsers will come down on us and wipe up out. I can't save them Optimus. If they are old enough to talk and make themselves understood, then they are as doomed with me as with those that take them. The only difference is I make it painless...and I mourn them...all of them....every single day. So in a way you're right...I AM as bad as our enemies."

Optimus' response to that last remark was as instinctive as his earlier rage. "No you aren't," he said.

Rodimus snorted, "I do what I have to do Optimus, but it isn't ever going to be "good" no matter how you slice it. It has to be done. It simply HAS to be done, but I still want you to watch me I guess. I feel so tainted already....I'm just sorry I didn't do a better job of protecting you and Elita."

X

X

X

Magnus led Rodimus through the halls of Metroplex....not that Rodimus didn't know where he was going but the City Commander seemed driven to see as much of his city as possible in the short time they had. Rodimus wisely opted not to comment when Magnus' "shortcut" seemed more like a tour of the entire base.

"Everything looks good, Major General," Rodimus remarked at one point (they were "cutting through"  
some of the weapons stores. Interestingly, these rooms had only one door.)

"How would you know?" Magnus snapped with an evil glare....but he muttered under his breath through most of the inspection in a way which told Rodimus he found little to criticize. Rodimus smiled to himself and didn't respond. Magnus was still FAR from pleased with either of his superiors, and Rodi didn't have the energy to tease the former City Commander (at least not that AND escape unscathed.)

The days following the reconciliation had still been very hard on everyone. Optimus had finally tracked down Elita himself and whatever passed between them went largely undisclosed to the others. The one thing Optimus was willing to tell his partner (with obvious discomfort and even further shame at his own response) was that Elita had reconciled herself to the potential need to assassinate their own in extremis and had told Optimus that she felt obligated to be of assistance to Rodimus if the need ever really presented itself. Optimus told Rodimus this resolution on her part had all but frozen his soul for an instant, and that she had stood before him in fear and defiance when she told him of her decision....as if she expected him to turn on her too. He had wavered on the brink of madness again, but held himself silent until the irrational response passed...leaving behind crystalline awareness of how close he was to losing the two beings he cared about most forever, and how much pain this resolve was causing Elita.

She had been rigid with terror that he would reject her or fight her resolve until she was forced to reject  
him. Still, once Elita made up her mind something was needed for the survival of her people nothing got in the way. Not even love.

Optimus had been speechless and a bit humbled by her strength and had spent many hours after that  
leaning on that strength. When he told Rodimus about it later, Optimus admitted to being a bit over-awed byher determination and at a loss to explain her need/love/respect for him even as she sobbed with relief in his arms when he didn't assault her for her choice.

Once Prime and Elita had settled things between them, all three of them had returned to iron out matters with the others. Stating their apologies and new resolve had been simple enough but healing the sprained (if not shattered) confidence of the council would take more than a simple apology and show of unity. Optimus and Rodimus had never so much as had more than a minor disagreement publically before, except when Rodimus had been becoming irrational during his separation with Lancer. They were so good at this public front that members of the inner council were often a bit shocked during their first weeks after initiation to see the Primes ruthlessly picking apart each others ideas. After those first weeks though, the council members usually felt even better about things. Seeing two such brilliant minds cheerfully debating and working so hard for a unified purpose inspired the others to be just as creative and critical. In the scope of their task, ideas were to be shared, refined, or rejected. The end result was their focus and differences in opinion were not to be taken personally.

Optimus and Rodimus knew they had to do more than just say their horrible, very personal fight was  
a one time aberration. They had to make the others believe it. It took long hours of talking before all of the others were even confident enough to express their doubts again. Magnus and Marissa had no trouble venting their spleen on the two unresisting Primes, but KC still had a tendency to go along without expressing her concerns and First Aid was too horrified by the entire affair to be easily calmed. Even Jazz seemed almost ashamed to admit it would be a long time before he fully trusted either Prime implicitly again. Perceptor's admission that he had been worrying about the fight for the last several days was perhaps the most accurate measure of how hard the fight had hit the council since Perceptor was generally unaffected by things going on outside his lab.

Only when Optimus and Rodimus felt that they had done all they could to lay doubts expressed and  
unexpressed to rest did they decide it was time to approach Springer and Arcee with their new assignments.

Upon retrospect, Rodimus now realized that Magnus' insistence on going was merely an excuse for this  
rigorous inspection.

At long last, they arrived at Springer's quarters...or so they thought.

They were both so focused on what they planned to say to Springer about his new station in life that it  
took several seconds to register Sandstorm's confused face when he answered the door. He gaped a bit in his concern to find two of his most superior officers standing grimly outside his quarters.

"Errr.....can I help you Sirs?" Sandstorm said nervously - all the while trying to figure out when he could have possibly gotten himself into trouble.

"Sandstorm...." Magnus said sternly, "Will you please tell Springer we want to see him?" 

Sandstorm blinked in confusion, but wasn't about to question a direct order. "Yes Sir. Now Sir?"

"Of course now!" Magnus snapped, "Why else would we be here?"

"Right away Sir!" Sandstorm said. He was now entirely confused. He was off-duty at the moment,  
and even if he'd been on duty communications of this kind usually were Blaster's department. He headed for the nearest com-panel, annoying Magnus further but giving those in the hall their first clear view of the quarters.

Rodimus peered inside in consternation. Springer's tastes in decorating had gone distinctly Paradronian  
recently. Many Autobots were picking up art and furnishings created by the refugees but Rodimus was  
surprised in that Springer's opinion of their style was about as favorable as Magnus'. In other words he was frequently heard saying that the art made for good target practice. (Busy as he was, Rodimus knew this because Springer and some of the more...practically minded Autobots had gone so far as to purchase a large quantity of Paradronian baubles for the sole purpose of using them for target practice, thereby causing a minor but enduring incident with the Paradronian Cultural Commission. They had descended on Optimus' office in a swarm of outrage carrying signs and demanding there be courts-martial for the Autobots involved. It was one of the few times Rodimus had ever seen Optimus visibly struggling to keep his patient tone while he soothed their ruffled feathers and gave them something else to do. After they had gone, Optimus had actually been muttering things about using the Cultural Commission for target practice.)

"Sandstorm...." Magnus intoned in that flat voice that meant upcoming suffering to those who knew him, "What are you doing?" He was annoyed at Sandstorm but was equally annoyed at his commander who was staring into Springer's quarters with his head cocked to one side in confusion.

"Umm...contacting Springer as you requested Sir?" Sandstorm said with just a hint of a whimper.

"Isn't he at home?" Magnus asked.

"I'm trying to find out Sir! Arcee is on duty but Springer should be there now....He has next shift today." The former Paradronian was sounding completely flustered and was on the verge of losing his composure all together. He was beginning to wonder if this wasn't a test of some kind that he was failing miserably.

Magnus heard Rodimus mutter "uh-oh..." very, very quietly before the young Prime suddenly whirled on him with that over-blown smile and smart-alec voice which made you want to smack him silly.

"Magnus! We're at the wrong quarters! I told you they moved into Arcee's quarter's, but OH NO! YOU kept insisting they moved into Springer's!"

"I what....?" Magnus said.

"Oh no you don't! Don't even go there Ultra Magnus! You bet me and now you'd better pay up!"  
Rodimus said, holding out his hand and glaring at Magnus seriously even as he smiled.

Magnus numbly took out a few energon chits and put them in Rodi's palm.

"Sorry for bothering you Sandstorm!" Rodi smiled. "Look at it this way...you got to see Magnus get lost in Metroplex! Move it Mags!" Rodimus pushed the rigid City Commander out of Sandstorm's door which shut automatically before Sandstorm could utter a word.

"Rodimus...what the hell....?" Magnus muttered under his breath as several Autobots walked by them and saluted.

"They've moved in together!" Rodimus whispered in a hiss. "We always wondered how long it would be before they caved in and made it official and now they've gone and done it! We missed it! We missed it completely!"

"Not possible. Surely we would have known...."

"Really?" Rodimus asked bitterly. "Do you really think so? Let's check."

They did. A quick visit to Magnus' office and a simple records check revealed not only that Springer was now living in Arcee's quarters but when the move had taken place.

"They were mated even before they approached me," Magnus said in resigned horror. "No wonder they accused me of not being in touch. The Autobots held a celebration and everything for them and none of us attended. Absolutely unbelievable. I used to know everything that went on in this base. I discovered what YOU were up to based on nothing more than a few tiny shifts in my possessions and an increase of voltage to some of the power cables. Now I have people switching quarters - Sandstorm had to move all the way across Metroplex to get Springer's old room and I missed the whole damned thing." He was too appalled to do anything but sit with his fingers pressed to his forehead- not even chair throwing seemed appealing at themoment. Rodimus stared out the window without moving a servo - he seemed frozen in time - as if he were an image rather than a living being.

"This isn't possible," Magnus went on to himself. "This simply isn't possible."

Rodimus stared at his reflection - his face furrowed with rage and contempt.

"Well!" Magnus said, looking over his shoulder at Rodimus, "Don't you have anything to say about this?"

Rodimus half turned and stared at Magnus a long long time.

Finally he said, "I hate the Jabez."

"That goes without saying," Magnus snorted, and then froze. Rodimus' hate was a given, but it wasn'toften it surfaced to twist his features visibly. When it did, he looked more like Lancer at the height of her possession than Magnus could comfortably look at. Then it was gone.

"What are we going to say to them?" Rodimus asked.

"What?" Magnus asked, a bit disoriented by the change in topic.

"Well, what do you say to your closest friends when they up and get mated without your noticing? 'Hi!Happy mating! Sorry I missed it but ya know, I had paperwork and stuff'? "Opps! Missed your mating! Sorry about that, but hey! You know I REALLY care!'" Rodimus sniffed skeptically. "Somehow Major General, I don't see them buying that."

"We should have a gift too," Magnus mused by way of ignoring Rodi's justifiable sarcasm.

"What...you mean our promotion from hell isn't enough? Maybe that's what we should say to them! 'Heyguys! Heard you got together! As a pressie we're going to plant so much responsibility on you that you'll be lucky if you ever see each other again! Isn't that nice of us?' It would probably be kinder to kill them."

"Rodimus, don't even kid around about that."

"What makes you think I'm kidding?" Rodi snapped.

In the end they decided to improvise.

X

X

X

Arcee greeted the door when the knock came. She was just coming off her shift and had barely stepped inside herself. The knock was unexpected. The faces which greeted her were even more unexpected – a change from years past which Arcee was painfully aware of. She didn't know how to greet them. They had missed her mating. They had put off answering some very pertinent questions for weeks. They were friends who hadn't acted like friends in quite some time...and neither of them was smiling when she answered the door.

Torn between real concern for them and real anger for their recent behavior, Arcee couldn't even manage a simple greeting. She just stared at them while she sized them up and tried to work through her feelings. Springer came to her rescue in his usual style.

"Well, well, well! Look what the cat dragged in! A couple of sorry lookin' rats!"

"We're coming in," Rodimus said.

"You weren't invited yet," said Springer.

"I don't remember asking to be invited," Rodimus said, stepping inside without waiting for Arcee to fully step out of the way. Magnus cringed a bit...when Rodi's voice got that cold even City Commander's thought twice about challenging him.

Arcee merely gaped at her long time friend as if he was a complete stranger...a really hideous and scary complete stranger. Springer's instincts for danger were just as sharp but were unfortunately hardwired to hiS sarcasm circuits.

"Check out Mr. Personality! Oh...I get it. The Matrix not only changed your name when you opened it, it gave you a whole new set of manners from the rest of us. You don't EVER have to check in with your friends, unless of course you want to barge in whenever you feel like it." Springer snarled.

"Right," Rodimus said without a trace of humor. "That's exactly right. Now sit down and shut up beforeI court martial you for insubordination. Get this straight - you have already passed the point of no return. I don't care if you like what I say, how I say it, or what I ask of you. I'm not your friend right now, I'm your commander. If I was acting as your friend I would have rigged an accident an ended your lives the minute you started asking questions. THAT would have been friendship and you two can either stand by your oaths and follow orders or you can try defying me one more time. I won't lie to you...your lives are at stake from this point on."

"You are WAY over the line, Rodi..." Springer started.

Magnus decided to intervene before his commander's eyes got any greener. "Springer, he's absolutely serious! You wanted answers and now you're going to get them! I TOLD you to back off! I told you you would regret pursuing this! Now it's too late to back off! And when he says your lives are at stake it's only because if you don't fall in line, EVERYONE'S life will be at stake...he IS our leader, and he WILL do what he has to to protect Cybertron and Earth. He will...and I won't stop him!"

"W...What are you saying?!" Arcee cried. "What could even make you THINK this way? Rodimus!Magnus! What's going on? What's WRONG with you?"

"These quarters aren't secure enough for this conversation," Rodimus said, somehow managing to rile Springer even more.

"Why you..." the triple changer started.

"Teleporting now," Magnus said, with an inward prayer. Mechanical teleporters weren't his favorite way to travel even though as an robot they didn't make him physically ill. They just worried him. This teleporter was more reliable than most though since it had a stabilized pre-set destination deep within Central...just outside the inner council's conference room. The device hummed briefly in his palm and engulfed the four of them, transporting them instantly to the dim offices the council spent most of their time in.

"Where are we?" Arcee shrieked.

"Go inside," Rodimus ordered and even Springer was too disoriented to argue. The polished walls ofthe council chamber seemed to unnerve the mated pair even more since it was unlike anything they'd ever heard of. The fact that so many of their friends were seated around a long oval table didn't help much. KC looked nervous. The others, even Jazz, seemed grim and hostile. Elita's eyes were serenely cold, and Optimus had never been more grave. Even First Aid managed to look stern. Pagan's suddenly appeared in the doorway behind them with Lancer in her grasp. The group acted a bit startled to see them, but Pagan flashed out again without speaking and no one spoke to greet Lancer. All eyes and optics stared Arcee and Springer down unnervingly.

The table's center section silently retracted into the floor. It left an outer ring of about 3 meters in widthfor the human members to sit on and the robotic members to lean on. They all had a monitor of some kind either on the table in front of them or attached to the front of the chairs the humans used. Arcee and Springer were a bit confused by this arrangement until Rodimus folded down an unused section of table which allowed the frightened pair to step into the ring. Apparently they were expected to stand in the middle while the council decided their fate. They walked inside and felt more than a little like reality was standing on its ear. They simply did not recognize the expressions on those around them. What had been simply annoying in Rodimus was terrifying with this large, grim assembly of their nearest and dearest. Optimus might not be as blatantly threatening as Rodimus...Elita might not be overtly glowering, but the fact was this assembly obviously knew and supported Rodi's Con-like behavior, and all were emulating it in one degree or another. First Aid's presence was somehow the worst though. If the pacifist wasn't protesting...

As they reached the center of the circle Rodimus closed the entrance behind them...there was no way back now.

X

X

X

Hours later, both Arcee and Springer felt as though they had aged centuries. Their superiors had told them the bare minimum of what it took to achieve their cooperation..and once that point had been reached Arcee was glad they had stopped. Springer was still uncertain he could live without knowing more, but he did at last understand why his friends had been acting so harshly. It had really been Optimus that had convinced him though. Deep down, Springer would always harbor some feelings of Rodimus being young and not always using the best judgement. These feelings made it easy for him to view Rodi's attitude as completely out of line with all the Autobots stood for. It was not so easy for Springer to dismiss Optimus' seemingly unconditional support of his partner. The triple changer had always held an almost religious adoration for the senior Prime. They had never been just friends the way Springer had been with Rodimus. Springer had never talked with him on a personal level, had never seen Optimus doubt, and certainly Optimus had never come to Springer in moments of personal crisis the way Hot Rod, and later Rodimus had done. Springer knew Rodi better as a person, knew his faults, and found it much easier to view him a fallible than the monolithic Optimus Prime who had been a legend before Springer was activated. Springer was hurt and angry, but those feelings were mostly directed at Rodi - the friend he felt betrayed him. Optimus had always been Springer's superior, so Springer expected both more and less from the senior Prime. He expected Optimus to be more of a leader but didn't hold it against Optimus that Prime had missed Springer's mating to Arcee. After all, why should Prime concern himself? Therefore it was Optimus' calm assertions that the steps that were being taken were absolutely the only options that got Springer to grudgingly accept the situation. Even Rodi's outrageous claim that he would kill Springer and Arcee couldn't do that. Springer was more than ready to die for his beliefs, and he wasn't totally convinced Rodimus was serious either. If Optimus said it was the only way though, Springer felt he had to accept it.

Arcee took the news of a new enemy and of Rodi's torture with deceptive quiet although if she'd been human her eyes would have been swimming with tears. She sensed she was only being told the surface of things in a way Springer didn't, even though their leaders told them as much. It was enough for her. The pain she'd sensed in Kup's shattered eyes, Elita's sorrowful resignation, Magnus' laser-like focus, Jazz's stillness, and mostly Rodi's simmering rage told her she skimmed in the shallows of a problem she didn't want to plumb the depths of. She knew these people and she didn't want to imagine what would bring out these reactions in them. She did want to help though. Springer's fear and indignation weren't that easily dismissed but as Rodimus relayed some of what had been done to him that anger shifted focus, although not entirely. They both reaffirmed their oaths and thought themselves prepared for what was going to be asked of them. They were wrong. When they heard the responsibilities they were being given, they realized they were indeed trapped - and that there would never be a turning back. It was only then they fully understood what Magnus had tried to tell them from the beginning. Only after they were burdened with most of the work it took to run a full military culture did they truly believe they had been better off not knowing.

Just in time to regret it of course.


End file.
